472 Transactions. — Chemistry. 



have a portion of their hydrogen replaced by the elements of nitrous acid, 

 and subsequently, a portion of the oxygen of this acid removed, the ulti- 

 mate result being that a nitrogenous substance is produced which is a true 

 alkaloid, in fact an amide, that is, a substance constructed upon the 

 ammonia type, and which, in case of those produced from petroleum, has 

 one equivalent of hydrogen of ammonia substituted by a hydro-carbon. 



Now, so far as I know, this process has not been applied with any 

 success to a fixed oil or fat, if applied at all; every constituent of such 

 substances is mdeed held to be constructed so differently to the petroleums 

 and theh alhes, that we should not expect results upon them at all similar 

 to those we get by the same means as apphed to the petroleums. 



However, by employing this process very carefully upon the purest oHve 

 oil I could get, I obtained as a resultant a hquid which manifested, to all 

 the tests I could apply, the reaction of one containing an alkaloid. 



By employing Stras's process, to this liquid I separated an oily body 

 which was in great part dissolved by weak acetic acid ; the solution in this 

 acid afforded dense precipitates with tannin, mercuro-iodide of potassium, 

 sulpho- cyanide of potassium and zinc, a reddish precipitate with free iodine, 

 and when evaporated with platino-chloride of potassium a granular yellow 

 precipitate ; this precipitate, when washed well with alcohol to dissolve any 

 oil present in a free state, partially fused when gently heated, and then 

 blackened, and as the heat was raised the black matter was consumed, and 

 a grey mass of platina left. 



These results clearlj^ show that an alkaloid had been obtained from the 

 oil used- 

 Several other vegetable oils gave similar results to these, and among 

 the animal oils, cod-liver oil and sperm oil. The former oil was obtained 

 from the fish by steam, so that the alkaloid produced is not to be referred 

 to any product of decomposition made by securing the oil. That this 

 alkaloid is not to be referred to the glycerine of these oils is proved by my 

 inability to obtain an alkaloid in this way from glycerine itself ; and further 

 by the fact that Price's stearine, as sold in his candles, also affords me this 

 alkaloidal substance. These candles do not contain glycerine, and are the 

 best representation of a pure fat which I can at present get. 



These facts open up a very interesting field for research, as they show 

 one of two things, viz. : — First, that there are one or more hydro-carbons of 

 the benzol or naphthaline series in our fixed oils and fats : — second, or that 

 the acids of these substances are in part capable of furnishing alkaloids to 

 the aniline process. 



Whichever way it may prove to be, the matter is of an equal interest, 

 for that there should be pure hydro-carbons mixed with the fixed vegetable 

 and animal oils named, would be just as important a fact to know, as that 



